Seton Hall Season Preview - Part III - Veterans - Seton Hall University Athletics

One of the reasons why Seton Hall was selected to finish as high as third in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll is because it has a good blend of battle-tested veterans and a healthy infusion of youthful newcomers.

In our third part of a three-part season preview, we look at the Pirates who have been there and done that for Seton Hall already. These are the returning players who have already suited up for games in South Orange. They are the BIG EAST-battled tested group who will provide the experience for a young group of Pirates.

DANIELLE ROBINSON - #2
Guard – Newark, N.J.
Sophomore Danielle Robinson was coming on strong towards the end of her freshman campaign in South Orange, but suffered a season-ending injury late. To date, the 5-foot-10 guard is still recovering with eyes on a potential return around the start of BIG EAST Conference play.

Robinson has been aggressive in her recovery, dropped weight and improved her shot in the off-season. Regarded as an excellent teammate, she is a great passer and is competent with the ball in her hands. She's a good leader, both on the floor and off, and she should provide the Pirate backcourt a depth boost when she returns.

Last season, Robinson appeared in 18 games and averaged 1.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per game. Her best performance came against arguably The Hall's toughest opponent. Robinson tallied a career-high 10 points, on the strength of two made three-pointers, to go with two steals at Connecticut on Dec. 8.

FEMI FUNEUS - #15
Forward – Plantation, Fla.
Femi Funeus is another Pirate attempting to return from a season-ending injury this year. The second-year forward played her last game on Dec. 21, 2018 against UNC-Greensboro, but is progressing well in recovery and may return to the court soon.

Many see Funeus as a major key to the Pirates' potential success this season, largely because of her performance early last year. A starting-caliber front-court player, she is a tremendous athlete and a great finisher around the basket. A huge part of Seton Hall's future, she has improved in her shot and is a strong rebounder.

Funeus averaged 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest in only 11 games for The Hall last season. In only her second game as a collegian, she erupted for a career-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in only 22 minutes against Kennesaw State on Nov. 10. Against Saint Peter's, she pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds in only 16 minutes.

When ready to return, look for Funeus to slide into the starting lineup, or see significant time off the bench.

WHITNEY HOWELL - #22
Forward/Center – Lake Worth, Fla.
Another cog in a strong sophomore class is front-court player Whitney Howell. Although she is one of the team's most athletic players, she too has struggled with nagging ailments which has slowed her progress. Still, Howell has enormous potential and both rebounds and passes the ball well.

As a freshman, Howell appeared in 18 games and made six starts. She averaged 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest, while averaging 6.0 minutes. Howell scored a career-high six points against Saint Peter's on Dec. 2 and grabbed eight rebounds in her career debut against Wagner on Nov. 6. Howell also saw nine minutes of action in Seton Hall's WNIT game at Toledo.

The Pirate coaches hope Powell takes another step forward in her progress as a sophomore this year. She'll likely be a frontcourt bench option to start the season.

SELENA PHILOXY - #34
Forward – Queens, N.Y.
Since arriving in South Orange two years ago, Selena Philoxy has played in every game the Pirates have played. The Hall will again be counting on that durability as either a starter or frontcourt option off the bench in this, her junior season.

One of the strongest players in the BIG EAST, she has great toughness and has the ability to take games over in the paint. Philoxy is a great passer and is improving her ability to finish around the basket. Inconsistency plagues her from time to time, but when she's "dialed in" she can be a dominant post player. The Pirate coaching staff believes she has more ability than she's shown so far, and hope to see some of that untapped potential in 2019-20.

Philoxy appeared in all 31 games as a sophomore and made 19 starts. She averaged 5.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest, which ranked seventh-best in the BIG EAST Conference. Philoxy was a force in Seton Hall's WNIT game at Toledo, scoring a season-high 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 34 minutes of action. She also had 14 points in the BIG EAST Tournament against St. John's. Philoxy notched a double-double against Marquette on Jan. 18 and pulled down a career-high 21 rebounds at Xavier on Jan. 6.

SHADEEN SAMUELS - #24
Forward – Ossining, N.Y.
Few seasons have begun with more anticipation than the senior campaign for Shadeen Samuels. She became only the second player in program history to be named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, she's a member of the Cheryl Miller Watch List and is the reigning BIG EAST scoring champion.

She can score inside and outside, and ranked 14^th in the conference in free-throw percentage. But what has most coaches drooling at her tools is her defensive ability. She's one of the best defenders in the country, routinely guarding the top scoring threat on the opposing team. Samuels ranked in both the top-13 in the BIG EAST in both steals and blocks, and fourth with 8.6 rebounds per contest.

Samuels is a serious candidate for BOTH BIG EAST Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Only twice in conference history has the same player won both awards, Ruth Riley for Notre Dame in 2001 and Nykesha Sales for UConn in 1998.

An egoless competitor who is equally content with scoring or finding her teammates, Samuels needs only 117 points to become the 22^nd player in Seton Hall history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.

DESIREE ELMORE - #25
Forward – Hartford, Conn.
Another Pirate poised for a breakout campaign in 2019-20 is Desiree Elmore. Capable of playing several positions, Elmore enters her second season in South Orange in the best shape of her career. An excellent help defender, she has incredible tools and when she's locked in, can be the team's best player.

Elmore is another key cog in Seton Hall's BIG EAST Championship aspirations, and the conference has noticed. BIG EAST Coaches named her to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team for 2019-20.

After transferring from Syracuse, Elmore appeared in 29 games for Seton Hall last year, making six starts. She averaged 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and averaged 20.0 minutes. During one stretch late in the season, she topped 20 points in three of four games, two of which were against DePaul and Marquette, the top two teams in the league last season.

Look for Elmore to be a regular in the starting lineup.

2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW PART I - Freshmen
2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW PART II - Experienced Newcomers